Experience the spectacle
SARDINE RUN ALGOA BAY Where the Sardine Run Begins
Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) · South Africa · 2027
Experience the early season of South Africa’s legendary Sardine Run in Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth.
Long before the Sardine Run becomes famous along the Wild Coast in June and July, the action begins building further south.
From March through May, baitfish gathering in and around Algoa Bay attract an extraordinary cast of predators – common dolphins, Bryde’s whales, sharks, Cape gannets, seals, penguins and game fish – creating some of the most exciting wildlife encounters on the South African coastline.
Join ProDive Port Elizabeth and experience the Sardine Run differently.
Don’t follow the Sardine Run. Meet it first.
WHEN SHOULD YOU JOIN US
IN ALGOA BAY?
Late March to early May
If you’ve heard that Sardine Run season is June and July, that timing refers to expeditions further north.
The Sardine Run moves along South Africa’s coastline, with shoals and feeding predators travelling along the coast throughout the season. Here in Algoa Bay, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), our Sardine Run expeditions run from late March to early May.
LATE MARCH
– EARLY MAY
Join us as we search for gathering baitfish and the dolphins, whales, sharks and seabirds feeding on them.
Our Sardine Run season.
A MIGRATION
ON THE MOVE
Sardine shoals move north-east along the coastline, attracting feeding predators along the way.
JUNE – JULY
By this stage, the migration’s activity is typically concentrated further north.
Come and experience the action earlier in Algoa Bay.
Wildlife activity and timing vary each year with ocean conditions.
WHY ALGOA BAY?
More Than a Sardine Run
Algoa Bay is not simply a departure point from which we search for sardines.
It is an extraordinary marine destination in its own right.
Shaped by warm currents and cool, nutrient-rich upwellings, the bay supports a remarkable combination of marine habitats and wildlife.
During Sardine Run season, this already productive ecosystem becomes the stage for encounters with some of Southern Africa’s most spectacular marine predators.
Wildlife sightings vary from day to day, but the Sardine Run season may bring together an extraordinary variety of marine life.
Common Dolphins
Bryde's Whales
Sharks
Cape Gannets
African Penguins
THE ALGOA BAY DIFFERENCE
The Sardine Run Is Our Target. Algoa Bay Is the Experience.
The Sardine Run is a wild natural phenomenon.
There are no schedules underwater and bait balls can never be guaranteed.
That is exactly why location matters.
A day with ProDive is not built around a promise that we will find one particular shoal of fish. We search the bay and surrounding coastline for the signs of activity that experienced local skippers learn to recognise — birds gathering overhead, dolphins moving with purpose, whales feeding and concentrations of baitfish.
Sometimes this leads to the explosive bait-ball action everyone hopes to see.
Other days deliver completely different wildlife encounters.
The expedition is about being there when Algoa Bay comes alive.
WHY EXPERIENCE IT WITH PRODIVE?
Local Knowledge Matters
We don’t arrive in Algoa Bay for the Sardine Run season.
This is our home.
ProDive Port Elizabeth has spent decades diving, boating and exploring these waters. Our team understands the reefs, coastline, weather, currents and marine life that shape every day at sea.
During an unpredictable wildlife expedition, that local knowledge matters.
SMALL GROUPS
With a maximum of 8 guests per ocean day, you’ll enjoy personal attention and space to experience the action, whether you’re diving, photographing wildlife or watching from the boat.
BUILT FOR THE OCEAN
Equipped for long ocean days, our operation gives us the flexibility to search beyond the immediate bay, following the activity when conditions allow and exploring more of the open sea.
EXPERIENCED LOCAL SKIPPERS
Our team knows Algoa Bay and brings years of experience searching for marine wildlife, reading ocean conditions and positioning the boat to help you make the most of each day.
FOR DIVERS AND OCEAN LOVERS
The Sardine Run isn’t a conventional scuba diving holiday.
Much of the action can develop quickly at or near the surface, making snorkelling the most effective way to enter many encounters. When a suitable bait ball becomes established and conditions allow, scuba can provide an entirely different perspective.
A COMPLETE DIVING DESTINATION
Extend your stay and discover the reefs of Algoa Bay, ragged-tooth sharks and the protected underwater environments of the Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area.
ProDive is currently the only scuba diving operator holding a permit to conduct scuba diving excursions within the Addo MPA.
ONE DESTINATION. TWO VERY DIFFERENT SIDES OF ADDO.
From Elephants to the Ocean
All from one destination.
Port Elizabeth is the gateway to one of South Africa’s most unusual combinations of marine and terrestrial wildlife.
Spend your days searching Algoa Bay for dolphins, whales, sharks and the Sardine Run, then add a visit to Addo Elephant National Park and experience Africa’s terrestrial wildlife.
For divers, the experience can go even further.
ProDive can take qualified divers beneath the surface inside the Addo Marine Protected Area, revealing a side of the national park that very few visitors ever experience.
Who is it for?
SCUBA DIVERS
For qualified divers who want to experience the Sardine Run beneath the surface and be part of the action as marine life gathers around the shoals.
SNORKELLERS | FREEDIVERS
Confident swimmers can experience suitable wildlife encounters from the surface without needing a scuba qualification.
NON-DIVERS
You do not need to enter the water to experience the expedition. Non-divers can remain on the boat and enjoy the wildlife, scenery and surface activity around Algoa Bay.
WHEN SHOULD I COME?
March, April or May?
There is no date on which anyone can guarantee the Sardine Run.
Ocean conditions, water temperature, baitfish distribution, weather and predator movements all influence what happens from one season — and one day — to the next.
Our Algoa Bay Sardine Run season runs from March through May, with April and May forming the core historical window for Sardine Run activity in the region.
March can produce early activity and exceptional encounters, while April and May are the months around which we recommend most international guests plan their Sardine Run expedition.
If your travel dates are flexible, speak to us before booking your flights and we can help you choose the most appropriate package and period.
FAQ
I thought the Sardine Run happened in June and July?
That is the period most commonly associated with the Wild Coast and Port St Johns.
The activity develops further south earlier in the year. Algoa Bay offers an opportunity to experience the earlier phase, normally before the famous Wild Coast season.
For Port Elizabeth, plan for March through May, with April and May at the heart of our season.
Is the Sardine Run guaranteed?
No.
This is a completely wild natural event and neither sardines nor bait balls can be guaranteed.
Weather, ocean conditions and animal movements change constantly. Spending multiple days at sea gives you more opportunities to encounter the different wildlife events associated with the season.
Will we definitely see a bait ball?
No. Bait balls depend on sardines, predators and conditions.
Is this a scuba diving trip?
Not in the traditional sense.
Sardine Run encounters are highly mobile. Dolphins, birds and baitfish can move rapidly, so many encounters are best experienced using mask, snorkel and fins.
Scuba becomes an option when suitable activity settles sufficiently and conditions allow a safe underwater encounter.
The objective is always to use the method that gives our guests the best responsible encounter with the wildlife on that particular day.
How many guests are on the boat?
We operate with a maximum of 8 guests per ocean day, keeping the experience personal and giving guests more space to prepare and enter the water efficiently when an opportunity develops
Can I rent equipment?
Yes. Tanks and weights are included. Other dive and snorkel gear
can be rented.
Why should I spend several days at sea?
Because this isn’t an aquarium.
The animals move, conditions change and every day is different.
A multi-day expedition gives you a much better opportunity to experience the range of wildlife and behaviour that makes the Sardine Run remarkable rather than placing everything on a single day.
SARDINE RUN ALGOA BAY
Where the Sardine Run Begins.
Port Elizabeth, South Africa | March – May 2027
Don’t follow the Sardine Run. Meet it first.